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Assorted News from the Last Week: The FDA Pediatric ODAC met to "discuss perspectives on the impact of FDARA on the field of pediatric oncology, considerations related to implementation of FDARA for new molecularly targeted drugs and biological products, and the role of proof-of-concept studies using relevant pediatric preclinical models." There was also a discussion of the role of international collaboration and how coordinated approaches to the design and conduct of molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations can be best achieved in light of RACE Act regulations. Click here to view all the meeting information and links to key documents and [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: St. Jude survivorship portal and its ability to facilitate breakthroughs in pediatric cancer survivorship research were published recently in Cancer Discovery. The portal integrates data involving whole genomic sequencing, treatment exposure and outcomes — creating an unprecedented research system that houses 400 million genetic variants from over 7,700 childhood cancer survivors. In an effort to raise awareness about pediatric brain cancer, encourage research on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) tumors and other pediatric cancers, and honor patients and families who have faced this disease, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution (S.Res. 691) designating May [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: To understand how CNS tumors impact the AYA population, NCI-CONNECT (Comprehensive Oncology Network Evaluating Rare CNS Tumors), the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS), and the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) have partnered on a new statistical report that explores statistical trends in AYAs with primary CNS tumors in the United States between 2016 and 2020. (NCI) Among adults previously treated for a childhood cancer who attained full-time employment 25 years following successful treatment, nearly 30% to 40% either died, became unemployed, or moved to part-time employment or left the labor force [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Brain cancer in children is notoriously hard to treat – a new mRNA cancer vaccine triggers an attack from within. In an analysis from the Children’s Oncology Group phase III AALL1131 study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Alexander et al found that exposure to propofol was associated with an increased risk of impairment in reaction time/processing speed at 1 year after treatment in children with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). While overall cancer risk was no different for children born after fertility treatments compared with those naturally conceived, frozen or fresh [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Congratulations to CAC2 Supporting Organization Day One Biopharmaceuticals.  The FDA has granted accelerated approval to tovorafenib (Ojemda) for the treatment of pediatric patients 6 months of age and older with relapsed or refractory low-grade glioma harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or a BRAF V600 mutation and marks the first systemic therapy indicated for pediatric patients with low-grade glioma harboring BRAF rearrangements, including fusions.  There are a ton of articles about this approval.  This OncLive piece was the first in. The FDA approved lutetium Lu 177 dotatate for the treatment of pediatric patients aged 12 [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: To achieve successful socioeconomic reintegration in the long term, it is crucial to implement a childhood cancer survivorship program that addresses the unique needs of individuals based on their disease and cultural background throughout their entire lives. Data sharing platforms for precision care can revolutionize the way we treat patients and advance treatments and cures for pediatric brain cancer. Following a progressive expansion, the ZERO Childhood Cancer program is now available to all children with cancer in Australia. This means that every child, regardless of their cancer type or risk profile, will now have [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended Novartis' autologous CAR T-cell therapy Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) for children and young adults with previously treated B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). CAC2 Supporting Member Oncoheroes Biosciences has been chosen as one of the eleven finalists for the inaugural J.P. Morgan Asset Management: Life Sciences Innovation Summit. Scheduled for May 14th–15th, 2024, at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, this event aims to cultivate a thriving ecosystem for early-stage entrepreneurs in the life sciences sector. Researchers have identified new variations in neuroblastoma that could lead to [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: FDA announced its Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will meet virtually on 22 May to discuss provisions in the 2017 FDA Reauthorization Act that require sponsors of adult cancer drug premarket applications to also submit data that could be used to inform the use of the drug in children. The subcommittee is expected to meet to discuss implementing the law and how it could affect pediatric cancer drug development. In honor of National AYA Cancer Awareness Week, please note the recent announcement from the White House about patient data portability: [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Cancer is far more likely to be caused by “tumor-suppressor” genes than by one gene run amok.  Interestingly, last week Nature reported that researchers from St. Jude had stumbled on a new way of treating cancers caused by malfunctioning tumor-suppressor genes.  Their work focuses on a rare and aggressive childhood cancer called rhabdoid tumors and is based on restoring the broken tumor suppressor system, reverting malignant cells into ordinary ones. Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), according to results from a [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has announced that the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons (PCDC) at the University of Chicago is one of five winners of the 2023 OSTP Year of Open Science Recognition Challenge. More than 90% of pediatric patients with cancer will experience hair loss; but in a recent study, topical minoxidil increased hair growth (hair density and thickness) in 87% of pediatric patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Doxorubicin, a common chemotherapy drug used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma conferred a significantly increased risk of breast cancer among women treated [...] Read more